I didn't know Michigan was in the South
All of Mickey's family, plus Francine and her mother, all speak with a Southern accent. They're supposed to be in Michigan.
Or is this just a case of "all poor white people speak with Southern accents"?
In the book, if I recall correctly, Mickey's family came from Kentucky originally.
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."
Okay, that explains Mickey's family, and possibly Mickey, although in general kids adopt the accent of where they grow up, not their family.
But what about Francine's family?
I don't remember Francine speaking with a Southern accent really.
Just Mickey's family.
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."
There have never been enough jobs to keep everyone in Appalachia employed. During the post-World War II years, when auto factories in Ohio and Michigan were hiring, a lot of "hillbillies" moved north.